The Clueless Groom
by Scott the Wanderer
Summary: The Groom really had no clue he was supposed to be in the wedding


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and this is not a challenge on the copyright.

A/N: Companion piece to The Runaway Groom, but it can stand alone. The pair of stories just came to me one night.

AU: Minor AU

"'Ou nevair came back, 'Arry." Fleur accent had always been more pronounced around him. While it was a simple statement, but it was full of pain and more than a little bit of accusation. "We waited four 'ours before et was clear 'ou were not coming."

Harry looked up from his news paper knowing full well who he would see. He'd felt her before she ever entered the café. This was the meeting he dreaded most after he defeated Voldemort. Not because he imagined she cared for him, but because it was her he truly loved from the moment they met. He never told her. How could a skinny child ever hold the heart of a goddess? He never wanted her pity. So he became her friend and supported her in everything. He used his influence with thee goblins to secure her cursebreaking job. He bought the building her flat was in so the landlord would not abuse the relationship. He put pressure on the Ministry to extend her every right and protection. He'd done it all silently.

"I am sorry, Fleur. I needed to take care of things. If I had stayed there would have been far too many deaths on both sides." Harry sighed softly. "Have a seat the croissants here are excellent and the coffee is actually French."

"I weell join you, 'Arry. I 'ave missed a good cup of coffee. Zhe Anglais do not make a decent cuppa. Even Café Americana would be nice." Fleur demurred as she sat opposite him. Unlike many in the magical community Fleur had a perfect sense of Muggle style. Though she seemed to like hip huggers and baby t-shirts, which was far more skin than she would dare show in the Wizarding world. Muggles had a strange tolerance to the Allure. At the low levels they just stared a bit more, at maximum output they were drooling messes. So Fleur felt a little safer in her daring clothes here than in normal robes in the wizarding world. "I understand zhat you needed to take care of Voldemort. Steell you should 'ave returned zhe moment 'e was dead so the wedding could 'appen. Better yet, you could 'ave waited 'teell after and I would 'ave come wiz you."

"I am pretty sure Bill would have not liked that." Harry said softly taking a small sip of his cappucino. "I had to leave Hermione and Ron behind. It was the only way I could think of that would let me act as I needed to. Nobody would have sanctioned what I had to do."

"Eef eet was bad enough zhe ozzer way, I would 'ave listened to you. I would 'ave 'elped."

"Maybe, but Bill wouldn't have and I will not be responsible for seperating you two." Harry sighed. "We would have lost Remus, Tonks, one of the Twins, Amelia Bones, Dobby, and quite a few students. A hundred dead on each side and Hogwarts in ruins. It was a nightmare of epic proportions."

"Deed I die in zhis timeline you saw?" Fleur was almost afraid of the answer.

"No, you lived. It was part of why I didn't dare tell you." Harry sighed heavily. "You are the most important thing in my life. To make sure that saving the others didn't endanger you, I pulled a page from popular culture. Tommy has no idea that he's lost. Poor bastard is under Draught of the Living Death and his remaining magic is feeding a Daydream charm on him and his followers. He thinks he is immortal and ruling over the world. In reality he is in a Fidelis that he is the secret keeper of and I have obliviated that memory from him as well."

"Zhat ees inspired." Fleur chuckled softly as she thought of the terrorist forever in a dream, until of course his magic gave out and the deep stasis of the Draught wore out and his body expired with his soul trapped there. "Now zhat I 'ave found you, I can start planning zhe wedding again."

"You didn't need to wait this long, Fleur. You could have gotten married anytime. The Goblins have been holding the gift for when you update your vault. Hope you don't mind I went a little over the gift limit." Harry grinned sheepishly. "I mean what is a library and educational trusts for your first seven children between friends, after all?"

"Ees kind of 'ard to 'ave a wedding wizzout zhe groom 'Arry." Fleur chided through her smile. "But now zhat you are found eet ees all solved."

"What do you mean the groom was gone? Bill ran off? Wait till I find that…" Harry was silenced by a finger on his lips.

"Non, 'ou silly man. You are zhe groom." Fleur said forestalling the younger man from attempting to leave. "'Ermione told me 'ou were dense but I was sure you understood."

"Wait wait wait! You were dating Bill. Then you started making wedding plans. I mean I helped you pick out the colors, the cake, the flowers, and the catering. I remember helping you plan the wedding." Harry began recounting everything that happened as if to remind her. "I had to get fitted for a new robe to match the colors and we shopped for rings because Bill admitted he is hopeless with jewelry…"

"Eet did not occur to 'ou zhat all zhose zhings were zhe job of zhe groom?"

"But…but…I never proposed."

"Yes, you deed. After zhat 'orrible Zabini boy called me a 'Veela Slut' and many worse things." Fleur smiled as she remembered Harry somehow pulling her into his lap and holding her whispering how the idiot was just jealous. "'Ou said zhat 'ou would marry me eef 'ou 'ad zhe chance. 'Ou said it would not be out of pity as you zhink no one ees worzzy of me and zhat you love me for me. I just took a while to accept, 'Arry Potter."

"Oh…why am I not on fire?" Harry asked after a moment. He heard stories of scorned Veela and none of them were good.

"Because, I expect at least twelve children from you, my love. Zhat would be 'ard eef you were dead."


End file.
